Does any one else find Stepping Stones pace weird?

[notrunneryet]

It may be a good tool to run on a treadmill, but I find the pace difficult to adapt to when running outdoors.

[caribougrrl Graduate]

I've been finding the pacing really difficult BUT have realized I need to learn to do "quick light" steps... my stride is too long to keep up with the pace (I especially struggle at the end of the 15 min at 155bpm, have not yet been able to successfully do the final 5 at 160).

I also run outdoors; I find I'm best at short strides going uphill, so I'm trying to imagine I'm going uphill regardless of the slope I'm on. I was quite disheartened to read all sorts of threads in here where people complain the pace is too slow, so I'm really hoping stride length will fix it before I have to admit I'm just plain slow...

[notrunneryet Graduate]

For me it is not so much about the speed. My stride is so short that sucks! and I found that I run at that pace more or less (the first 5 minutes feel a bit on the slow side though) and I could cope with the final speed just fine.

My problem is more with the changing ground, I run in a hilly area, and I cannot shorten the stride any more to keep the pace when running uphill (and I feel like dying too, I love slowing down going uphill )

[caribougrrl Graduate in reply to notrunneryet]

a coworker of mine is an avid (and accomplished) runner... he insists that you should maintain a steady pace regardless of going up or down a hill, but change your stride length as needed... he is a big advocate of the book Chi Running for anyone struggling with uphill/ downhill issue. (In the interest of full disclosure, he suggests that book for any running trouble anyone asks him about.)

[Landesman Graduate]

Yes, I did. I only run outdoors and couldn't do the 150bpm easily as my normal pace is in the 158-165 range, so it seems unnaturally slow. We all run at diiferent speeds so it's worth finding a podcast or download that suits your range.

FWIW some of the Audiofuel training downloads peak at either 180 or 200bpm, which I find impossibly fast.

[Clawmum Graduate]

must admit i struggled with the stepping stones so had a look around C25k and found a link to downloaded the B210K

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

back to what i like - following basic instruction with a target at the end

[caribougrrl Graduate]

incidentally, I have been concentrating on light quick steps/ stepping down rather than forward and I'm finding I can now do the stepping stone podcast comfortably and consistently... so it's time to sub in the speed podcast for one of my runs during the week.